This is not a traditional nail polish and that is a good thing. Water based nail polishes dry different in that they dry “top down” instead of “bottom up”. Effectively, it will dry to the touch quickly, while under the dried surface, it is still “wet”. Once the polish is dry to the touch, it won’t rub off on your clothing or other fabrics. It does takes a while for the polish to completely “cure” and we recommend at least 6 hours for this process to complete. We suggest applying Acquarella 15-20 minutes before going to bed for the polish to “cure” while you sleep. Be easy on your tips for the first twenty four hours after application for best overall performance.